Tagged: Mitch Talbot

Right-hander Wade Davis gave up 8 runs (5 earned) in only 2 innings as the Durham Bulls bowed out of the International League playoffs Friday night, falling three games to one to the Yankees’ Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre team.

While the previous three games were all decided in the final at-bat, the Bulls were beat handily on Friday. Following the game, right-handed pitchers Jeff Niemann and Mitch Talbot were called up to the Rays, along with outfielder Jonny Gomes and lefty phenom David Price.

The top overall pick in last year’s draft, Price compiled a 13-1 record and a 2.39 ERA in 21 starts for Vero, Montgomery and Durham, including two playoff outings with the Bulls. He last pitched Tuesday in Scranton, allowing four runs in six innings in the opener of the Governors’ Cup finals.

The initial plan is for the Rays to use all three pitchers–starters the entire season–out of the bullpen. But there is at least one spot start available, in the second game of the Sept. 23 doubleheader at Baltimore. Although Price would be an enticing choice as a spot starter, the club will remain cautious in putting too much pressure on the 22-year-old pitcher.

Gomes and Price joined the Rays in New York on Saturday (although Price was not used in the Rays doubleheader) and Talbot and Niemann are expected to join the team on Monday back in St. Petersburg.

Talbot and Niemann will each begin their second stint in the Major Leagues this season. Niemann posted a 1-1 record with a 5.79 ERA in two starts for the Rays and went 9-5 with a 3.59 ERA for Durham. Talbot did not get to pitch during an abbreviated one-day stint with the Rays and went 13-9 with a 3.86 ERA at Durham.

The quartet joins former Bulls teammates outfielder Fernando Perez, first baseman Dan Johnson and catchers John Jaso and Michael Hernandez as a length list of September call ups.

A powerful lefthander, Price went a combined 12-1 in three levels of the Rays Minor League system, with a 2.30 ERA and 109 strikeouts.

Tuesday night marked his final start with the Triple-A Bulls, as the team is currently in the best-of-five Governor’s Cup Finals. Price tossed six innings in the opening game, allowed four runs on seven hits while fanning nine. The Bulls rallied to take the lead with five runs in the 7th inning, but eventually lost, 8-7 to the Yankees Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

With the conclusion of Price’s season, the question remains as to when or if the Rays will call upon the touted lefty to help in their franchise-first pennant race. Although it was widely assumed that the 22-year-old Price would end his season in the Majors, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman sounded more skeptical when speaking with ESPN’s Peter Gammons on Monday.

According to Gammon’s blog , Friedman wasn’t definite that Price would join the Rays heated American League East battle. “We don’t want people getting ahead of themselves,” Friedman told Gammons. “Anointing [Price] a savior and putting undo pressure on a kid in his first full professional season.”

Price’s teammate in Durham, right-hander Jeff Niemann, could get the nod to join the big league club after his start on Thursday. Niemann (1-0, 1.13) will take the hill against LHP Kei Igawa (1-0, 1.29) for Game 3 of the series, and is coming off an impressive start against Louisville in Round One, in which Niemann took a no-hitter into the eighth inning.

Friedman told Gammons he has been watching the International League playoffs closely and after seeing Niemann throw so well was sure the lanky right-hander would fit into the Rays bullpen sometime this month.

Although Friedman had originally planned to make only two waves of call-ups, early August injuries to Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria coupled with recent setbacks by centerfielder B.J. Upton (strained left quadriceps) and backup catcher Shawn Riggans (bursitis in his right knee) has made more frequent moves necessary.

Despite substantial roster thinning, Durham is making the adjustments and is set to play Game 2 vs. Scranton on Wednesday night with right-hander Mitch Talbot on the hill.

The Durham Bulls, the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate, defeated host Louisville (Reds), 3-0, in Game 1 of the International League playoffs on Wednesday night. Top prospect David Price tossed five shutout innings in the win with six strikeouts. Elliot Johnson, Dan Johnson and Chris Richard each homered.

But the Bulls couldn’t replicate the magic on Thursday, as Louisville handed Durham a resounding 19-3 defeat to even the best-of-five series. The Bulls trailed 17-0 after four innings and 19-0 after seven. Starter Mitch Talbot lasted a mere two innings, allowing seven runs off nine hits. But the brunt of Louisville’s offense was felt by reliever Chris Mason, who was tagged for 10 runs off nine hits in just 1 2/3 innings.

The series will shift to Durham on Friday for the final three games.

Double-A Montgomery and Single-A Vero Beach both finished their seasons on Thursday night. Montgomery fell 7-6 to the Suns with catcher Matt Spring leading the offense in a 2-for-5 plate appearance with a home run and two RBI. Vero finished fifth in the Florida State League with a 54-81 record. RHP Heath Rollins ended the year with a 3.30 ERA and 115 strikeouts, fifth-most in the League.

Rays top prospect David Price picked up a no-decision on Monday night, and is still searching for his first win since being promoted to Triple-A Durham on August 9. The young lefty allowed three runs (two earned) off five hits, and exited with a 5-3 lead after five innings.

Price was the Rays top pick and the No. 1 overall selection in the 2007 First-Year Player draft. After going 11-0 in stints with the Rays Single-A and Double-A squads, he suffered his first professional loss against Norfolk on Aug. 13. He pitched just four innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, while walking none and striking out six.

“I felt good,” Price told The Herald-Sun of Durham, N.C. “They were hitting everything tonight. This is Triple-A — they were hitting good pitches and bad pitches. The hitters are just better, period. I feel good that I didn’t walk anybody. I threw strikes, just not enough strikes. At least I made them put the ball in play. You can’t have your best stuff every night.”

The Durham Bulls also dropped Tuesday’s game, 9-8, although the squad still maintains a 5 1/2 game lead in the division. Right-hander Mitch Talbot started and tossed six innings, allowing a pair of runs on six hits and three walks while striking out eight.

By signing second pick (No. 47 overall) LHP Kyle Lobstein on Friday afternoon, the Rays have inked 26 of their 28 selections in this year’s First-Year Player Draft. Only Brandon Meredith and Ryan Carpenter, the 15th- and 21st-round selections, did not sign. According to the Tampa Tribune’s Marc Lancaster, Lobstein will not pitch in a Minor League game this season, but is expected to report to rookie-level Princeton on Sunday.

Tidbits from the Farm..

— While much of the attention centered on top prospect David Price’s debut in Triple-A last week, RHP Heath Rollins quietly put together a solid performance of his own. The 23-year-old Rollins — who was promoted to Double-A to assume Price’s vacated spot — did not disappoint in his debut on Wednesday night. Rollins struck out nine batters and issued zero walks in seven innings of one-run ball. He gave up four hit totals, with his lone blemish a solo home run. Rollins retired the final 8 batters he faced.

. –Per the Montgomery Advertiser, James Houser has been activated for the Double-A Biscuits. The left-handed pitcher made his first start in a month on Friday night and was limited to 1 1/3 innings, walking three and giving up one hit and a run.

— Triple-A Durham’s Dan Johnson was 2-for-5 on Friday night and now leads the International League with a .969 OPS and .422 OBP.

— RHP Mitch Talbot tossed seven innings of shutout baseball on Thursday night to record his 26th win for Durham. In doing so, Talbot becomes the team’s second winningest pitcher.